


The Pianist

by R3d_R0535



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Music Lover Ben, Music Teacher Poe, Pianist Finn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 14:59:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14854964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R3d_R0535/pseuds/R3d_R0535
Summary: Ben heard a melody being played on a piano, and he can’t seem to get the song out of his head.





	1. Where Is My Mind?

Ben is wandering around the school when he hears a piano being played. The chords stream and vibrate through the air, creating a graceful song. He stops in his steps, forgetting all about his meetings and student council. He just stands in the hallway and listens.

The wind from an open window ruffles his hair as he lets the notes and lets his mind wander. It is a sad and yet beautiful tune that plays, invoking a strange tug at his heart. The silent school allows for him to hear the song clearly and not miss the sound of a mistake or hesitance being played. He doesn’t hear any wrong keys that interrupt the song. He just hears a continuously elegant melody being played.

When the tune stops, he comes back to reality. He moves fast to the music room, wanting to know who had played such a haunting and beautiful song. Ben doesn’t get there in time.

As he gets to the room, the seat is empty and the room is silent, the piano remaining innocently in its place. He searches around the area but found no trace of the pianist. He sighs before he goes on his way to his after-school activities. All the while, that song is stuck in his head, repeating over and over.

 

[\-->](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts7FQaVULRs)


	2. Who Are You?

“Hey, Hux,” he calls to his friend, his mind still stuck on the song. “Do you know who stays after school to play the piano?” His red-haired friend tips his chair on the back legs, shaking his head.

“Nope didn’t even know someone stayed after school to play the piano. Thought all the music guys played on the weekends.” Ben hums as he turns away from his friend, shutting his eyes for a moment. He listens to the pitter patter of the rain, remembering the haunting tune once more.

 

 


	3. No Cars Go

From outside, Ben hears the piano playing. Even when the whistle blows and the balls bounce on the basketball court, he can hear it. He can hear every note drifting from out the window of the school. He cancels out the other noises and listens to the song. This time a different tune is drifting through the air, but it is just as heavenly crafted as the other.

The piano makes a feeling of sadness form in him, a deep loneliness that clings to his heart. Ben allows the feeling to travel through his heart and settle inside him, making him relax a little. He oddly enjoys the sorrow it brings to him and the strange imagery of rain falling coming to his mind.

The tune stops and the world resumes, placing him back in the present. Ben turns towards the music room, hoping to see a glimpse of the person who plays the piano. There is no one at the window.

He turns his attention back to observing his class, never forgetting the song.

 

[\-->](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV5n0AuDZNY)


	4. Mysterious

The school day is almost at an end and all the students are up out of their seats, traveling around with anxious feet. The classroom is abuzz with laughter and enthusiasm. The teacher doesn’t bother with silencing them or trying to control the rambunctious teenagers. He simply reads his book and ignores them.

Ben resigns himself to the back of the classroom, sweating a little from the Summer sun that beams through the window. He tries to push himself back further from the window, away form the overreaching sunlight. “...stop playing in that minor. It makes the whole song sound off.” The girls next to him exclaim loud enough to catch Ben’s attention.

“It just sounds better to play in the lower minor instead of a higher one. The higher one makes it sound like a love song.”

“That’s the point! It is a love song! Stop making everything have such a dark tone. I swear!” The girls continue to argue with one another, making Ben realize that these girls are in the music club. The piano song plays in his head then. Maybe they might know who that person is?

“Excuse me,” he interrupts them, making both of them stop their chatter. “But do you guys happen to know a pianist in the music club that plays after school?”

They give each other a curious look before shaking their heads. “No, the only pianist we have here is our teacher, and he leaves before twelve after we get out of music class.” Ben cocks his head, confused.

“Are you sure? 'Cause I could have sworn I heard someone playing on the piano after hours.” The girls give each other another look, shrugging their shoulders.

“Nope, sorry, nobody that we know.” Ben understands and thanks them before heading towards the door, ready to leave. The piano’s tune still plays in his mind.

 


	5. Crazy in Love

Ben stays after school once again, making his way into the copy room for the permission forms to a field trip. But he stops in his tracks when he hears the piano playing once again. The familiar and transcendent tone filtering through the air. Ben runs fast this time, almost tripping over himself to get to the music room in time and see who this pianist is.

This time, he makes it to the room, and he stops himself from entering when he sees the pianist. Sitting on the piano’s bench is a dark-skinned boy, his fingers moving flawlessly over the keys, completely unaware of Ben staring at him. He touches every key on the piano without a moment of hesitation. And his delicate fingers glide on the keys, his leg working against the pedal, and eyes closed off to the world. He lets the music lead him, not needing any spreadsheet or instruction to play the song. Ben watches, enchanted by the boy’s melody and how his whole body seems to move with the music.

Ben doesn’t realize that he has been standing there staring until the boy ends the song. The pianist then opens his eyes, revealing deep, brown irises that make Ben’s heart stop. “Excellent, Finn, you did a brilliant job!”

“No, I didn’t,” Finn complains, his plump lips frowning. “I messed up a couple of times.”

An older man with tan skin steps forward, his curly dark hair a bit of a mess on his head. He smiles sweetly at Finn, placing his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “You did good, Finn, beautiful!”

“Oh come on, Teach, you’re just saying that. I sucked.” He rests his head against the piano, making a horrifying sound come from the instrument. Ben cocks his head, a small smile coming over his face as he watches the pretty pianist complain. It was kind of cute. And it reminds him of himself when he was too hard on his studies, but he didn't faceplant his work or utensils.

“Oh, hello, did you need something?” Finn’s head shoots up, making eye contact with Ben. It was only after a second of the words floating unanswered that Ben realizes the man is addressing him.

“Uh,” he pauses, scratching his head, realizing he’s been caught. “Sorry, wrong room,” he moves away as fast as he can, not glancing back. He leaves thinking about midnight brown eyes and delicate fingers.

[\-->](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B5yXJzDWRU)


	6. Finn

Ben knows close to nothing about the pianist, Finn, who plays such beautiful music. So Ben does nothing but asks questions to those he can in the music club and lower grades to find out about the boy. And at the end of the week, he finds out quite a bit.

Finn isn't actually part of the music club and nobody knew that he could even play the piano. Which means that Mr. Dameron, the music teacher, is giving him lessons after class. And since the music teacher is usually busy with class, he has to teach Finn after school or when Finn is available in the school hours. Finn is a grade level below him and one of the smartest in his class with a stellar record. People say that he stresses himself out on getting only the best and nothing less.

He reminds him of himself a lot, always trying to reach the top and stay there. But Ben’s accomplishments were completely different from Finn’s beautiful melody floating through the piano’s strings. While Ben educates himself on being part of the legal system, aiming for a lawyer, Finn is trying to be a pianist.

At least, that is what he surmises from the way that he plays it so well and criticizes himself. It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing someone who is only doing it for the sole sake of learning would say. He is strict with himself, wanting to get better.

Ben admires that about him. He seems to admire a lot of things about the boy as his dreams are full of Finn playing on the piano. And Ben is always just watching as beautiful pieces play in his head. He watches as the curtains to the window flutter and Finn’s own clothes rustle in the breeze. He plays the piano with his eyes closed, his fingers moving across the piano with elegance.

Ben wants to meet with him again and this time he does not want to run away the second they both make eye contact. He’d like to know why he is so passionate about music, to use any moment he can in school to learn. He wants to know what his dreams are and what his favorite thing to do is. He wants to know his story and everything else about him.

 


	7. Love Marriage

Ben stays after school each day of the week, waiting by the music room, listening for even a single note. He tells lies to those who ask what he is doing after school, telling them that he is studying, asking teachers questions or doing extra work. They aren’t too suspicious of him. They theorize it's another stage in his obsessive behavior in being a stellar student.

He stays near the music room, doing his homework and helping out with other clubs, but he has his ears alert. It works one day as he hears another tune filtering through the air, coming from the music room.

Ben tries not to run but as he comes closer to the sound, he skips a little. Excitement and anxiousness swirl inside him as the music gets louder. He walks slower as he approaches the room, listening in on the piano. He quietly peeks into the room to see Finn there at the piano again. His dark skin contrasts against his white shirt as he moves his fingers across the keys, his body moving with the music. The younger boy has his eyes closed and a small smile on his face, completely immersed in the song. Ben is stunned by the skill Finn has as it rolls off of his fingertips in a fast-paced song.

Ben only watches him, not having the heart or want to interrupt such a beautifully composed song.

“It’s Mariage D'amour composed by Paul de Senneville,” he hears the boy say as his eyes open, his fingers never leaving the piano or stuttering. “Although some mistake it for Spring Waltz by Chopin or so I’ve seen on the internet.”

He does the last chords to the song, ending it on a high note before he lets his shoulders relax and back slouch. Finn then turns his midnight brown eyes to Ben. “Did you like it?”

Ben nods his head, a little lost for words at the warm gaze staring back at him. He recovers his words, though, smiling. “You play beautifully,”

He watches the boy smile back, his eyes crinkling as he looks down at the piano. “That’s what my teacher always says, but I think he’s just kissing my ass cause I’m the only pianist here.”

“Coming from you, though,” he turns back to him, his smile growing wider, “I think I believe it.” Ben stays in his place, tracing over the lines that Finn’s smile makes and the way that he seems to glow under the lights. He looks enchanting and pretty with his lips curved upwards, eyes shining with happiness. And it makes Ben want to remember this moment forever.

“And you’re the first outside of my teacher to actually hear me play,” Finn shrugs, his hand going to the piano keys’ cover and closing it. “So it's nice to know I’m actually good.”

Ben then watches as he keeps his eyes towards the floor while he gathers some of his things. The older boy then fears that this might be the last time that he sees him. Summer is coming soon and they will no longer be in school or have an opportunity to “bump” into each other like this. Plus, anything could happen over the summer. He doesn’t want this to be the only conversation they have. And he definitely doesn't want to never hear how Finn's fingers dance across the piano keys again. “I wouldn’t mind hearing you play some more,” he blurts out before he can stop himself.

Finn stills his movements, pausing with his bag over his one shoulder as he turns to look at Ben. There is a surprise in his eyes, but then his features slowly start to fade away from the initial shock. He turns to the ground, finishing putting on his bookbag and standing there for a moment. Then he smiles, shyly turning his gaze back to him, eyes sparkling. “I’d like that,”

 


End file.
